


Connected (yet to be separate)

by LittleMissAgrafina



Series: Dear Peter Parker, What To Say To You [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anxiety, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, Irondad, May Parker is a Good Mom, Nightmares, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Soulmates, Separation Anxiety, Sickfic, Sleepy Cuddles, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is a Good Dad, and pepper, but not really, sorry - Freeform, spiderson, tw for vomit, we stan her, why isn't that a tag, you'll understand if you read it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26595244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissAgrafina/pseuds/LittleMissAgrafina
Summary: It would be the first time that Tony and Peter would be away from each other for more than a day since the reversal of the snap.It was the first time they would be apart since their soulmate bond had calmed and settled after the trauma it had gone through with Thanos' first snap, the breaking of their bond back on the cursed, red ground of Titan and then the sudden return of it in the reversal snap.Needless to say, Tony was anxious and he could feel that Peter was too.(Can be read without having read the previous work)
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Dear Peter Parker, What To Say To You [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934728
Comments: 25
Kudos: 219
Collections: The Friendly Neighborhood Exchange





	Connected (yet to be separate)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LBIGreyhound13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LBIGreyhound13/gifts).



> Hi guys!! Back with another exchange fic lol!  
> So, this one is set in the same universe as my soulmate au but I've set it up that you don't need much context from the previous work that way you don't have to read it unless you want to. What you DO need to know is that this au has a platonic soulmate bond where what you write on your forearm can be seen by the other half of the bond. There is a slight empathetic connection as well where they can get a sense of the others emotional and physical health. 
> 
> In the previous work in this series, I basically just went over Tony and Peter's MCU lives with the included soulmate stuff. All canon compliant up to Endgame where Peter and Tony did the snap together. Everyone survived, happy endings etc etc.
> 
> I hope ya'll are still following after that haha!  
> But I'm super excited to gift this to LBIGreyhound13:)  
> Their prompts were sick-fic, Peter and Tony patrol together, and/or Nightmares. I did try out the patrolling together one but it just wasn't working so I went with the other two.  
> Thank you to my darling @scooter3scooter for helping me with ideas in this too! You're amazing darling♡  
> Last but not least, I just wanna give a BIG thank you to Addi for once again betaing for me!! You were a massive help and I really appreciate it!  
> I hope you like it!!  
> Agra

  
  


Tony woke up with anxiety and stress swirling in his stomach, making his skin crawl.

  
  


He'd been dreading today for more than a week now and had been foolishly hoping that he would wake up to the news that something had cancelled his and Pepper's trip to China. They would be gone for a day or two to handle a blueprint leak that could only be dealt with in person due to the security clearance needed.

  
  


To most people it wasn't that big of a deal, but Tony wasn't most people. It wasn't even the fact that he and Pepper had to deal with something big so soon after their semi retirement, no, the problem was that it would be the first time he and Peter would be away from each other for more than a day since the reversal of the snap.

  
  


It was the first time they would be apart since their soulmate bond had calmed and settled after the trauma it had gone through with Thanos' first snap, the breaking of their bond back on the cursed, red ground of Titan and then the sudden return of it in the reversal snap.

  
  


Needless to say, Tony was anxious and he could feel that Peter was too, had felt it through their bond as the teen's stress and fear slowly built more and more as the day of Tony's trip came closer. Tony knew that his own nerves were felt too, knew that his restless, disturbed sleep the night before was mimicked by Peter just across the hall.

  
  


Their lack of sleep could be seen in the dark circles that had slowly formed beneath their eyes over the last week as well as the smudged letter inked on the skin of their forearms from when they had spoken during the night.

  
  


Pepper and May glanced at each other, concern shining in their eyes when Tony and Peter joined the two women at the breakfast table, Morgan looking up from her colouring book when Peter sat down next to her.

  
  


"How long?" May asked, watching as Pepper shifted Morgan's coloured pencils and markers to the side so she could place the toast and egg filled plate in front of the five year old.

  
  


"How much sleep did you get?" May clarified when she only received confused looks as they all started dishing food onto their plates.

  
  


Peter grimaced at the question, unaware of Tony's similar expression next to him, but he answered anyway knowing that May would resort to asking FRIDAY if she didn't get a response. "An hour or two."

  
  


May's brow furrowed slightly but she didn't say anything, knowing that it wasn't really their fault that they hadn't slept.

  
  


"Tony?" Pepper prompted her husband, a concerned crease forming on her own forehead as she looked at his and Peter's weary expressions.

  
  


"An hour or two." The older man grudgingly admitted, mimicking Peter's earlier words as he stabbed at one of the stray roasted tomatoes on his plate. 

  
  


With a sigh Pepper looked at May. "Yeah, I expected this." She glanced over at the clock near the fridge. "It's only just after eight and we have to be on the jet at two thirty so why don't you two go get comfy in the sun room? Maybe try and take a nap?" She asked them gently, referring to the glass roofed and walled room that was covered in mattresses and pillows for them to lie comfortably.

  
  


All too aware of the tired, slouching teenager next to him, Tony agreed. He hated that Peter had to suffer like this. With Tony it was different, he was the older one, the one that was supposed to take away Peter's stress and anxiety not be the cause of it.

  
  


It was one of the few downfalls that he found with their bond. He despised the effect it had on his kid in moments like this.

  
  


Taking another bite of his eggs and nudging Peter's own breakfast plate closer to the boy. "C'mon." He smiled. "Finish your food and then we can have a cuddle fest."

  
  


Peter shot him a smile in return, one that Tony saw all too well wasn't as bright as usual. "Only if I can use the Gerald blanket."

  
  


"But that's the best blanket!" Tony fake pouted at him but knew that Peter would end up with the big, woolly blanket that looked remarkably like the fuzzy coat of the resident goji-berry-stealing alpaca.

  
  


"I know it's the best," Peter smirked at him, "So I'll share it with you. We wouldn't the old Iron Man _himself_ to get sad over a blanket now would we?"

  
  


"I am not old!" Tony's indignant squawk was followed by laughs from everyone in the kitchen. 

  
  
  
  


\--

  
  
  
  


Sometimes Peter still has nightmares. Sometimes Tony does too, they all do, and that's okay. Part of the 'hero gig', right?

  
  


Yeah, right, but also wrong because it wasn't okay. It was okay when Peter knew that Tony was just down the hall and safely tucked away in his and Pepper's room. It was okay when Tony was just steps away, steps that Peter often found himself taking when a nightmare left him that much more shaken than normal, when the terror was too _real._ That was okay because Tony was _there_ , he was home.

  
  


But that was then, and then was okay. Now isn't okay. Now is Peter who is terrified to go to sleep because he knows he'll be haunted by his fears and memories. Now is a feeling of exhaustion and nausea slowly building up in his stomach because Tony is more than 7,200 miles across the sea. Tony is away and he isn't here with Peter and _it's_ _not okay._

  
  


Now was Peter's mind running in circles over and over and over again. Thoughts spinning and spiraling in a cacophony of ways that made Peter want to curl up in a ball and never get up again. His mind turned on him, flinging every possible bad situation that it could come up with at him.

  
  


Peter didn't know how long he laid in his bed, desperate for sleep despite how much it scared him, just so his mind would _stop._ Eventually the ache of his tired eyes became too much and he drifted off into restless sleep.

  
  
  
  


\---

  
  
  
  


There were whispers, echoes of voices that Peter knew but didn't know. Their familiarity was comforting in a strange way. Like coming home after a long time, they carried the same feeling of _this is right_ but also a note of melancholy.

  
  


Why melancholy? The voices were nice, they were warm, so why did they make him feel sad too?

  
  


And he was sad now. Why?

_Because you didn't do something… you failed._

  
  


Peter didn't know what he hadn't done, his confusion swirling higher and the voices growing clearer, harsher.

  
  


He could hear what they were saying now. Their hisses and snarls turning venomous and the comfort bringing horror instead of warmth.

  
  


He knew those voices, who they belonged to… his parents, Ben, May, _Tony_.

  
  


_"You didn't save us, Peter! You let us leave on that plane!"_

  
  


_"You could have saved me. You had powers, you knew when he pulled that trigger! I saw it in your eyes!"_

  
  


_"Why did you let him die, Peter! Why wasn't it you? It should have been you!"_

  
  


Over and over their voices spat at him, their words striking him deep in his heart, twisting it in their grasps. He was trapped with them and he just wanted to _get out!_

  
  


Suddenly there was Tony. But it wasn't his Tony, he knew because his Tony made him feel safe and warm. His Tony always greeted him by sending a flood of love and affection through their bond even if they had been apart for only seconds. This wasn't his Tony. This one was cold and hard, face drawn and a harsh glare twisting his features.

  
  


_"I almost died for you. I solved time travel for you, put on that gauntlet for you, and what do I get in return? A whiny kid who's scared of the dark, scared to sleep."_ Not-Tony snapped at him and Peter felt his chest close in, his breath escaping in a choked off whimper. 

  
  


"Not Tony, not Tony, not Tony! 'S not him!" Peter heard himself gasp. He looked up – when did he get on the floor? – when he saw gold and red armored feet step in front of him.

  
  


_"Pathetic!"_ Not-Tony snarled and Peter was yanked backwards away from him, hands and nails scrabbling at the ground as he was pulled away.

  
  


Peter woke with a cry, tumbling from his bed with his sheets twisted and tangled around his legs. Nausea rose in his stomach and bubbled up his chest. Staggering to his feet and tripping over his blankets he darted to his bathroom, falling to his knees in front of the toilet just as the take out he'd eaten with May and Morgan for dinner made a reappearance.

  
  


Peter's throat burned and his stomach ached from the force of his heaving and he could feel tears running down his cheeks.

  
  


He threw up until the only thing left was a bitter taste and an aching body. Gentle hands, May's hands, helped him up and pushed him to the sink where his Aunt passed him his toothbrush and toothpaste before she turned and made sure the toilet was clean enough that just a flush would do until it could be cleaned properly in the morning.

  
  


Once Peter was finished at the sink May slipped her hand into his and led him out of his room and into her own, where she ushered him into bed before she slipped in herself and hugged him close.

  
  


He was asleep before his fear could return.

  
  
  
  


\---

  
  
  
  
  


Peter woke again with nausea still swirling in his stomach and an aching head and body to go with it. May took one look at him and ordered him to stay in bed, but relented to letting him shower and move to his own room.

  
  


After showering and changing into fresh pyjamas, he climbed into his own bed. Silently thanking his Aunt again that she had changed his sheets too. He didn't know when she did it but she had, and it made him feel a bit better knowing he wasn't sleeping in his sweaty sheets from last night's nightmare.

  
  


"Think you can eat, sweetheart?" May asked him as she walked into his room, a sandwich and a glass of water in her hands.

  
  


Peter shook his head. He wouldn't be able to keep anything down if the queasy feeling that rose up in his stomach everytime he moved was an indication.

  
  


"Sorry, May." He answered her with a wince. 

  
  


"I know, buddy. It's okay. You have to try for the water at least, yeah? I'm not having a dehydrated Spider Baby on my hands. Again."

  
  


With a sheepish smile as his answer, he reached for May with grabby hands, almost crying when she wrapped him up in a hug. Peter loved May hugs but it wasn't what he really needed. It wasn't a Tony hug and it just made everything worse.

  
  


As if sensing his thoughts, May held him closer. "He'll be home soon, Bug. I promise. You just gotta hold out for the rest of the day."

  
  


"Thank you, May. Larb you."

  
  


"I larb you too, honey. Can you try and sleep some more? Maybe you can get something down after a nap." May soothed her fingers through his curls before gently pulling away.

  
  


Peter gave a hum.

  
  


"I'll be up later to check on you, 'kay? I gotta go corral the little Mongoose downstairs." She gave a teasing smile.

  
  


"'Kay."

  
  


With a final smile and a kiss to Peter's forehead she was gone. 

  
  


Turning to get more comfortable, the teen's hand brushed against an Iron Man plushie that was either a gag gift from before the snap or a sappy one from after. Hugging it close he suddenly remembered that he hadn't paid much attention to his and Tony's connection.

  
  


Squeezing the plushie, Peter pushed against the bond slightly, checking on Tony and finding he was asleep. Asleep but okay.

  
  


_Time differences suck. Travelling sucks. Want Tony._ Those last thoughts ran through his brain as he started dozing. He just hoped the previous night's nightmare was the last one.

  
  
  
  


\---

  
  
  
  


Peter would later stir, his nose scrunching and fingers twitching as he dreamed only for it to calm after a few seconds. His sleep never fully restful.

  
  


Peter curled on his side, unaware of the slight pain that was slowly building behind his eyes, his temples slowly starting to throb as he slept until he was awoken by the pain. 

  
  


Peter choked back a whimper, slamming his eyes closed in an attempt to calm the nausea and pain the action caused. He moved his head under the pillow it had been on in an effort to muffle the everyday noises around him, as well as the vibrations he could feel from said noises.

  
  


It didn't help.

  
  


A sudden flare of pain had Peter stumbling from the bed and darting to the bathroom to throw up what little of the contents left in his stomach from the night before. His mind strayed to the sandwich and water sitting untouched on the bedside but it only succeeded in making him retch more, so he shoved thoughts of food away.

  
  


The pain kept building but was now joined by a tingling in his left forearm. Looking down, he saw Tony's words from earlier that day (or evening or night. He didn't know which) were still there. 

  
  


_I hope you feel better soon, Bud_ . It said, Peter's own _thank you_ was still scrawled under it, too. They hadn't spoken as much as they usually did, but Peter knew that Tony could feel he wasn't well. He also knew May had probably told the older man, and he didn't really mind. Yeah, he didn't like to be coddled, but he liked that they all cared about him.

  
  


Lifting a shaky hand, Peter flushed the toilet and tried to stand. He felt wobbly but he managed to rinse out his mouth and get back to bed before he ended up staying on the floor for the rest of what he figured to be night judging by the lack of light from his window.

  
  


Dropping his head back under the pillow, he tried desperately to ignore the aching in his arm and head. It felt like something was missing, but he didn't know what it was.

  
  


After what felt like hours, Peter felt the pain start to ease the slightest bit, the reprieve giving his exhausted mind and body the chance it needed to slip back into darkness once again.

  
  
  
  


\---

  
  
  
  


The first thing that Peter registered as he woke up for what felt like the millionth time was that there wasn't any pain. There wasn't nausea, there wasn't fear or sadness, there was calm.

  
  


The next thing was that he was lying against a firm chest and there were fingers running through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. He couldn't help the content sigh that bubbled up.

  
  


Tony was back home.

  
  


"I know you're awake, Roo." Came said man's sleepy voice and Peter turned to look up at him, a dopey smile spreading across his face at the sight of his dad, the other half of his bond.

  
  


"Hi."

  
  


"Hi, yourself. You feeling any better?" Tony asked him with a soft smile.

  
  


Peter ‘hmmed’ in response.

  
  


"Good. Me too."

  
  


"You too?" Peter perked up, confusion on his face. Why had Tony felt bad? 

  
  


Tony nodded. "Yeah. I didn't have it as bad as you though, only some nightmares and a bit of nausea. It was 'cuz of our bond, Pete. We've been apart before but this trip stretched it too far, too soon. The distance as well as our own separation anxiety was too much and we ended up with the soulmate version of withdrawal. I don't know the technical hooey balooey of it, you'll have to ask Rhodey if you wanna know." He explained before Peter could voice his confusion.

  
  


"Basically our bond just freaked on us as well as our regular trauma because, hey, why not?" Peter summed up wryly and Tony laughed.

  
  


"Yeah, basically. Not fun though, I would _not_ recommend it."

  
  


Peter nodded his agreement before burrowing back into Tony's chest. He was exhausted and now maybe he could actually _rest._

  
  


Hugging him closer, Tony moved a hand back to Peter's curls. "I know you're tired, Pete, and we can have a rest for now but later I want you to eat. May told me you threw up everything that you would have had in you and your metabolism can't handle that." Tony's voice became slightly more stern before softening again. "I know it's not your fault, but we're gonna get that sorted when we get up later, yeah?"

  
  


"Yeah, but later. Wanna sleep." Peter murmured as his eyes drooped. They were getting harder and harder to keep open.

  
  


He also knew without looking that Tony was quickly succumbing to the exhaustion as well, could hear it in his voice. The last week had tired them both out physically and mentally.

  
  


"Hmm. Sleep now, food later." Tony agreed as he let his head fall back and relax into the pillow, his shoulder and chest being used as Peter's pillow since the teen refused to move.

  
  


Tony didn't mind at all, he only pressed a soft kiss to his son's curls and squeezed Peter closer to him as he let his love and care flood their bond as they drifted off to sleep.

  
  
  
  


\---

  
  
  
  


Later, when May went up to check on them for Pepper, she found the two still sound asleep, soft snores coming from both of them.

  
  


They stayed that way right through the night and halfway through the next morning.

  
  


Peter had no nightmares and neither did Tony, their sleep undisturbed and calm.

  
  



End file.
